Watch Who You Surround Yourself With #WeekendCoffeeShare

As someone who is still struggles to shake off some of the demons of the past, and move forward with gratitude and freedom, I need to constantly remind myself of certain life lessons.

This week, I want to focus on these ‘reminders to self’.

Today’s reminder to self is : Watch Who You Surround Yourself With

If I was having coffee with you today, I’d tell you that I’m further down the road to realizing that for too long I have seen myself is the way other (certain significant) people have told me I am. For example, I learned to school my responses; to present a picture of being in control even when I was dying inside; to smile when I had scant reason to; to be nice to people who were downright mean to me.

As I began to focus on loving myself, I learned not to take be so mindful of what other people told me. I began to assert myself a lot more.

But every once in a while, I’ll revert to thinking less of myself, because of a stray remark from someone significant who doesn’t really know me after a lifetime. Even though my husband would point out how badly this person treated me, I would make excuses for her. I guess it was a defense mechanism of sorts – my refusal to admit that I had allowed someone to control and use me for so long. Finally, I have seen the light, but like I said, every so often, I’ll still allow this person’s behavior to affect me. I still have to learn to trust my gut feeling that tells me what they’re say is not true.

So today, I borrow the words of someone else to remind myself to watch who I surround myself with:

Don’t you dare, for one more second, surround yourself with people who are not aware of the greatness that you are. ~ Jo Blackwell-Preston

I kind of get addicted or habituated to the presence of someone that not spending my time with them seems daunting.. I become dependent on the person on an emotional level.. it’s hard to let go… I foolishly try to change the person… Only to fail in the attempt..

Yes you need a constant re-inforcement for this feeling. I try to keep people like that at bay, but sometimes you can’t help it. I have had situations that later on I thought i didnt i give it back to those concerned in a language they understand!

This is something that I thought I had gotten over but as the year ends, I find I did a lot more than I thought… Stockholm syndrome or just a glutton for punishment, ending up finding the same kind of people over and over again.